The present invention generally relates to chemical or biological attack detection and mitigation systems, and more particularly to chemical or biological attack detection and mitigation systems for buildings.
The recent demise of the cold war and decline in super-power tensions has been accompanied by an increase in concern over the viability of weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical and biological (CB) weapons. CB weapons include chemical agents, such as blood, blister, and nerve agents, and biological agents, such as anthrax or small pox. CB weapons may be delivered to occupants within a building by releasing the agents external to the building, but close to an air intake of the building. The air intake may be located near the ground, near the roof, or somewhere in between, depending on the building architecture. Agents may also be released within a public area of a building, and be dispersed to other, private areas of the same building. Agents released in one area of a building may be further dispersed by the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the building. Therefore, the HVAC system may effectively deliver an agent from one room to the entire building. While the agent is being delivered through the building, the location of the agent source may remain unknown, as well as the extent of the harm caused.
There are various agent delivery mechanisms. For example, agents may be delivered in vehicles giving some warnings as to the delivery, such as missiles. Agents may also be delivered in vehicles giving no warning, such as a pedestrian held putative asthma inhaler activated near an air intake in the building.
Certain buildings, such as key military sites, can be equipped or designed well in advance to deal with the use of CB weapons. Such buildings may include elaborate, built-in fixed chemical and biological sensors. Such fixed sensors, even when thorough, are generally limited to sensing one area of a building, and may be too expensive to place in all desired areas of a building. Some buildings, however, such as hotels, may be more susceptible to a CB weapons attack, lacking even fixed sensors. What would be desirable, therefore, are chemical and biological sensors that can be deployed at multiple locations in a building. What would also be advantageous are sensors that are able to search for and identify the location of harmful agents. Devices able to assist building inhabitants during an attack would also be valuable.
The present invention includes systems for detecting agents harmful to human life in buildings. The systems can include a self-propelled harmful agent detector for traversing spaces anywhere in buildings. The self-propelled agent detectors can include a harmful agent sensor for sensing chemical and/or biological agents injurious to human health, with the harmful agent sensor having a data output. A transmitter can be coupled to the harmful agent sensor data output for transmitting data from the self-propelled harmful agent detector to a receiver. A power source can supply a motor having a moving output, with a traction device coupled to the motor moving output for moving the self-propelled harmful agent detector. One embodiment has a rotating shaft as the motor moving output, with the rotating shaft coupled to at least one wheel. Some embodiments use wheels as a traction device, other embodiments utilize tracks, and still other embodiments utilize capstans for moving the detector along suspended wires or strings. Some devices use take-up pulleys or winches to move the device up and down along strings or wires.
Some detectors have sensors that can measure levels of harmful agent concentration, wherein the sensor data contains data indicating harmful agent levels, and the transmitter can transmit the agent level data. Sample traps, such as vacuum vessels or adhesives, may be included in some devices to capture samples for later analysis. Some detectors can identify the type of the harmful agent and transmit that as well. Many detectors according to the present invention also broadcast the identity and absolute or relative location of the detector. Devices may have cameras and transmitters coupled to the cameras for transmitting images near the detectors to a receiver. Such mobile transmitting cameras may be used to transmit images including victim location.
Systems incorporating moving detectors according to the present invention are also provided. Systems can include receivers for receiving data transmitted by the moving detectors. The received information can include the mobile detector ID, the type of agent detected, the agent level detected, and the location of the detector. Some systems include machine intelligence for propelling the detector toward areas having higher harmful agent concentrations. Some mobile detectors have repeating capabilities, for receiving and re-transmitting signals received from other mobile detectors in order to extend the range of transmitters, which may be disposed in areas not conducive to RF transmissions, such as within air ducts. Some systems have mobile agent detector location systems, such as a triangulation system within a building, in order to locate the position of a transmission without requiring a mobile detector to have knowledge of its position.
Some embodiments of the invention, in addition to collecting and transmitting data, can assist building inhabitants. One class of devices according to the present invention can carry information, guidance, life support equipment, and even decontamination equipment to people located within a building. One such device is large enough to carry air bottles, air packs, face masks, breathing filters, protective garments, and communication gear within the device. Some devices transmit photographic views of the area surrounding the device to a central site. Other embodiments include speakers and/or changeable message signs which can be used to transmit instructions to building inhabitants. One use of such devices is to find a safe egress route from a building that is contaminated, and instruct building inhabitants as to the route and/or instruct the building inhabitants to xe2x80x9cfollow me.xe2x80x9d
Methods according to the present invention include providing the mobile detectors and/or receiving systems described above. The mobile harmful agent detectors can be disposed within the building and allowed to move throughout the building, and transmit information related to any harmful agent present. Some methods include mobile detectors disposed and programmed to roam outside of a building. Mobile detectors can be disposed along building floors, within air ducts, disposed along suspended wires, strings, or shafts, and hung from hanging wires, strings, ribbons, or pendulums, both within open atriums and within vertical air shafts. Some systems move the self-propelled detectors by providing the motor on one end of a string or wire and the detector on the other end. The detector is then moved by advancing the motor to move the string or wire. Other systems provide a fixed string or wire, with the detector and motor moved together. Flying mobile detectors, for example, sensors mounted on micro air vehicles (MAVs), are also included within the invention.
Some methods include providing self-propelled detector sensors to measure levels of harmful agent concentration, wherein the transmitted sensor data contains data indicating harmful agent levels, which is received and stored. Other methods include directing self-propelled mobile detectors to areas of interest, where the direction is provided from a central controller, either machine or human. In some systems, a central computer creates maps of agent type and/or intensity using the data provided by the mobile detectors.